|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Audrey Hepburn plays a Parisienne whose husband is murdered and who finds she is being followed by four men seeking the fortune her late spouse had hidden away. Cary Grant is the stranger who comes to her aid but his real motives aren't entirely clear--could he even be the killer? The 1963 film is directed by Stanley Donen but it has been called "Hitchcockian" for good reason: the possible duplicities between lovers, the unspoken agendas between a man and woman sharing secrets. Charade is nowhere as significant as a Hitchcock film but suspense-wise it holds its own; and Donen's glossy production lends itself to the welcome experience of stargazing. One wants Cary Grant to be Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn to be no one but Audrey Hepburn in a Hollywood product such as this, and they certainly don't let us down.--Tom Keogh
Amazon.co.uk Review
Audrey Hepburn plays a Parisienne whose husband is murdered and who finds she is being followed by four men seeking the fortune her late spouse had hidden away. Cary Grant is the stranger who comes to her aid, but his real motives aren't entirely clear--could he even be the killer? The 1963 film is directed by Stanley Donen, but it has been called "Hitchcockian" for good reason: the possible duplicities between lovers, the unspoken agendas between a man and woman sharing secrets. Charade is nowhere as significant as a Hitchcock film, but suspense-wise it holds its own; and Donen's glossy production lends itself to the welcome experience of stargazing. One wants Cary Grant to be Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn to be no one but Audrey Hepburn in a Hollywood product such as this, and they certainly don't let us down. --Tom Keogh
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a Charade,
By E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Charade [DVD] (DVD)
Cary Grant. Audrey Hepburn. A hidden megafortune. Three nasty pursuers. A slick, chic thriller with a Hitchcockian edge.
With that kind of formula, it's not surprising that "Charade" deserves every shred of praise it receives -- and over the years, this classic has received a lot. Director Stanlet Donen had his finest moment when he created this funny, witty, tightly-plotted little thriller, where you're left with questions right up to the final scene. While on vacation at a ski lodge, Regina Lampert (Hepburn) decides to get a divorce. But when she returns home, she finds that her husband has been tossed off a train -- and even stranger, she finds that he was mixed up in a gold robbery many years ago. To get her mind off her problems, Reggie goes out on the town with Peter Joshua (Grant), a guy she met at the resort. But during her outing, she's cornered by three strange, creepy men -- and the worst part is, she finds that Joshua may be in on their plot. Unsure whom to trust, Reggie starts digging to find out where the gold is -- and then her pursuers are murdered one by one. Will she be the next target? It's a sharp, taut little thriller, reminiscent of the more commercial thrillers by Hitchcock, though set in a chic 1960s Paris setting, and with a New Wave edge. Stanlet Donen did mostly comedies in his career, which makes the tight plot and wry wit of this movie stand out even more. The movie moving along at a fairly steady pace, with one or two dead spots, but mostly just following the twisted plot threads. There are some really harrowing moments, like Regina being attacked by the Hook-man. By the tense finale, a lot of the odd little clues suddenly fall into place, especially the murder of the three thugs. It's a brilliant piece of scripting, even if the storyline is a bit unreal. Fortunately it's not all spy-thrills and revenge. Donen could change from action to horror to comedy in a moment, and he keeps the quieter moments lively with funny dialogue and some sophisticated slapstick, like Grant showering fully-clad. The witty dialogue is full of glorious one-liners. "You won't be able to lie on your back for awhile," Reggie quips, "but then you can lie from any position." Though Grant wasn't wholly comfortable playing opposite Hepburn, the two actors have kinetic chemistry. Whether they're goofing off, or chasing a kiss in a nightclub, they feel entirely real and romantic. Better yet, nobody knows who Grant really is or what he's doing, so there's an added element of danger to their relationship. This tightly-plotted, fast-moving thriller deserves to be as well-loved as it is, and cinephiles should be ashamed of themselves if they haven't yet seen it. A must-have.
40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great print of an often-overlooked classic!,
By DL (from in front of the biggest screen in the village) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Charade [DVD] (DVD)
I've been after a pristine print of this film for years, ever since I picked up a fairly shonky region 0 copy half a decade ago for what was (back then) the bargain price of £7.99. My head had been turned by the hard-to-get Criterion Collection region 1 release, but frankly, spending the best part of £20 on a single film is quite an indulgence nowadays, so when I saw this studio-sanctioned release for less than a fiver, I snapped it up.
Well, I wasn't disappointed. The anamorphic print is clean and bright, and looks like it was filmed yesterday - aside from the fact that every frame oozes 1960's-era class. I'm lucky enough to be able to project my DVDs, and at 10ft wide and 6ft tall, this print of the film positively shines! As for the film itself, well, in my opinion Cary Grant overdoes the whole "Cary Grant thing" a little, but Audrey Hepburn is luminescant, and the supporting cast (Walter Matthau and a very mod-like James Coburn among them) don't put a foot wrong. No extras on this disc, but completists will be glad to hear that Hepburn's reference in one scene to "assassination" (not a good word to use in a major film script in 1963) has been seamlessly restored. Due to an oversight, the film's copyright notice wasn't included in the credits, so the film went into the public domain, which is why there are so many budget DVD releases of it. Don't be tempted to save £1 or so on an inferior copy, THIS is the one to go with!
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic gem,
By
This review is from: Charade [DVD] (DVD)
At last we have a high quality DVD of this excellent classic film. Hepburn and Grant sparkle as one might expect, and James Coburn and Walter Matthau are suitably villanous. This original version is vastly superior to the recent remake, much more subtle, much better acting, much better script. After buying and returning two different very poor previous versions, this Universal edition is a worthwile addition to any movie buff's collection. It is only the basic film, no extras other than the usual scene selection languages and subtitles, but who needs extras when the film delights the heart and mind as much as this one.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
